


i guess every superhero needs his theme music

by serenitysea



Series: bloodsport [5]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, but skye doesn't care and she likes to yell a lot, coulson is sneaky the way a shield director should be, may is there to act as the muscle and keep them all in line, part of the bloodsport series, skye believes that threats involving underwear are the most effective, ward wonders who he pissed off to deserve this kind of special hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-09
Updated: 2014-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-12 10:00:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2105493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenitysea/pseuds/serenitysea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AKA: the one where Coulson and May come to check in on Skye and Ward. </p><p>(or: the one where Coulson, Skye and Ward argue about life -- and May tries to keep them in line.)</p><p>Part of the Bloodsport series.<br/>(set after part 4)</p>
            </blockquote>





	i guess every superhero needs his theme music

**Author's Note:**

> you MUST read bloodsport (up to part 4) for this to make ANY sense! please make sure you are caught up. if you've already done so, enjoy the reunion...
> 
> title comes from kanye west's _power_.

He opens his eyes to see Melinda May pointing a gun at him. Coulson is on the phone across the room, glaring daggers in his direction.

Ward is instantly awake and swallows audibly. "This is not what it looks like."

The expression on May's face does not change.

Coulson ends the call and slips the phone into his jacket. "What does it look like?"

Saving him from having to answer is Skye, yawning so openly her jaw cracks. She rubs at her eyes blearily and takes in the scene. "You guys got here fast."

Ward slowly begins inching away from her and sees the murderous expression in May's eyes recede ever so slowly. Skye grumbles under her breath and shoots him a dirty look.

_Traitor._

Momentarily forgetting their audience, he turns injured eyes on her and hisses in a low voice, "Excuse me if I don't want to be killed this morning."

She shrugs and redirects her attention to their guests. "There only killing there will be is if I don't have my coffee. Get it together. You guys are giving me a migraine."

Ward decides to forgive her for leaving him at the mercy of their former pilot and boss because he gets the satisfaction of seeing their jaws drop open in shock.

_You're welcome._

It takes all of his considerable training not to crack so much as a smile.

* * *

Ward decides to run for breakfast while Skye makes coffee.

He is under strict instruction to return in no more than 15 minutes time ("Or so help me god, all of your precious underwear will be sprinkled with itching powder and I will make sure you have have _no rest_ for weeks.") despite his protests that the place with the _good_ scones was at least half an hour's distance.

He returns to the loft to find them sitting around the table, with Coulson and May flanking Skye as she answers their questions as unhelpfully as possible. They all recognize it as a stalling technique but he is somewhat surprised to find out that she's using on the people he would argue are the closest thing she has to parents.

(Then again, that might explain it.)

Coulson takes the bags from Ward and gestures for him to take a seat, which he does, grabbing the chair closest to Skye and scooting closer to be part of the discussion. He tries to ignore the warning look that May shoots Coulson and instead chooses to breathe evenly, so as not to alarm Skye. He must not be entirely successful, as she sidelines him a glare but ultimately doesn't press the issue.

They go over the basics and avoid the elephant in the room (Raina) and a good portion of the morning passes smoothly. Some change in Coulson's body language must alert Skye, because she is up from her seat and clearing the plates by the time he begins speak.

"We're here to alleviate some of the pressure you’ve encountered. Tripp is leading a few side missions to distract Raina and her Hydra teams, which should give us enough time to plan a counterattack and get you up to speed."

Jumping right back into the fray with Raina isn't quite what he had in mind. They need time to recoup and figure out a better strategy. He appreciates Coulson's support, but this is something they need to sort out on their own.

Ward pushes away from the table and strives for a compromise. "I was planning to work on Skye's conditioning this week. She needs to be able to narrow her focus and split between multiple objectives."

"She can train with May."

" _She_ is standing right here," Skye archly reminds them. "And fully capable of making her own decisions, thank you very much."

While Coulson is no stranger to having his orders questioned by Skye, it has been a while since they've been on the same continent, much less the same room together. There is a lack of rhythm to their interactions, an imbalance that he is not quite prepared for.

Skye has become accustomed to Ward being the decision maker or at least consulting with her before making the final call. They haven't been under the jurisdiction of Shield or _Director Coulson_ (and last time they had, he'd basically given them both the green light for flagrant insubordination and a side mission that might have gotten them killed.) for months, and this temporary reunion is both awkward and more than a little uncomfortable.

The three of them are engaged in some kind of Mexican standoff until May clears her throat delicately and places her napkin on the table. It seems stupid, but it is taken as a literal white flag and immediately everyone averts their eyes to focus on something else in a far less threatening manner.

Skye clears her throat awkwardly. "How's Fitz doing?" May lets her eyes slide to Ward and Skye clamps a hand on his arm in irritation. "He's kept me alive for the past three months. He _stays_."

Something akin to approval flashes briefly in Coulson's gaze before he answers. "He's awake. It's going to be a long process but we expect him to recover nicely."

"Once Simmons stops smothering him," May mutters, shooting him yet another pointed look.

"These things take time," Coulson blandly returns. (Ward suddenly has the feeling that they are no longer talking about Fitz's recovery.) "Meanwhile, May will work with Skye on her focus and control. Ward, you'll debrief then go over action plans with me."

"Do your worst," Skye mutters, following after May as she leaves the room. "You guys are totally going to have to peel me off the floor for dinner."

Neither Coulson or May miss the backward glance Skye throws at Ward before disappearing from view.

* * *

"Heard you ran into a bit of trouble a few weeks ago." Only Coulson has the art of the understatement of the snafu that was the Bakery.

"It was —" ( _horrible, nightmare worthy, the kind of things that keep them both awake at night_ ) "— an awakening for both of us, sir."

Coulson nods and scrolls through data on his tablet. "How is Skye?"

Ward sighs and wonders how much he can safely reveal. Skye has been adamant that their team be minimally involved so that they remain undistracted and worry-free.

  
("I just think we could stand to fill them in on a few things."

"No way. They have enough on their plates. Besides, Coulson barely sleeps as it is."

"Skye —"

"Ward, _please._ I'm not saying we can _never_ tell them. I'm just saying not _now_.")

 

"She's tired." He finally says, because it isn't a lie and she's admitted as much to him. Anyone can see the dark circles under her eyes and fatigue that underlines her actions.

Coulson frowns but does not make any attempt to continue to conversation and Ward finds himself breathing easier. He is in the middle of debriefing Coulson on the last six weeks when they hear Skye screaming blue murder.

Ward bolts from the office without stopping to check if Coulson is following and runs to the gym. He enters the room at full tilt and has to grab the doorframe for balance so that he does not trip over May, where she is passed out on the floor.

Skye is huddled in the corner, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry — _I'm so sorry I didn't mean it_ —"

Coulson drops to a crouch and checks for May's pulse. "She's unconscious." He looks over at Skye in bewilderment and she begins to cry _harder_.

As he makes his way across the gym, Ward thinks he can understand the confusion. May is near indestructible. Skye is good, no doubt, but the specialist far outperforms her in any kind of physical fight. Coulson hasn't seen Skye in action yet and doesn't really know what she is capable of.

"What happened?" Coulson looks up at Skye and moves as if to come closer to her.

" _NO_!" She scrambles backward until her back hits the wall. "Get _away from me_!"

Coulson looks at Ward in agony to make sense of the situation. Ward barely refrains from shaking his head in disappointment and has to bite down on the sharp remark he wants to sling at the older man. (This is exactly what he had been afraid of when he'd woken up this morning. They weren't ready for this.)

"Hey, it's me." Ward puts his hands up in a non-threatening manner and steps nearer to Skye. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I didn't mean to hurt her," Skye insists, heaving with the kind of sobs that wrack her entire body. "It was an accident."

"I know," Ward soothes, quickly hiding a wince of pain as her emotions rush at him like shards of glass. Neither Coulson or May seem to be affected by it so it looks like he's the only one feeling Skye's emotional surge. He can't help but feel a quick burst of pride that she's managed to contain it despite the situation. "No one blames you. May will be fine."

"AC, I swear I didn't do it on purpose --"

"I know." Coulson is helping May as she gradually regains consciousness and looks over at them. "I'm a little concerned about _you_ right now." It looks like he might try to come closer but decides against it when Skye practically burrows into Ward's side.

"Skye," Ward murmurs, turning her chin to look in her eyes and drawing her attention once more. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

She shakes her head mutely, gaze darting over to May. "Will she really be okay?"

He looks at Coulson for confirmation, who nods briefly. "She's going to have a nice lump on her head but she'll be fine. Can you tell me what happened?"

"We were practicing hand to hand. She was talking about _flowers_. The next thing I know, May drops to the floor like she was _thrown_ onto it."

It wasn't unheard of for Skye to react (especially since they knew how much she hated flowers) but he knew that inadvertently hurting May freaked her out. She was still learning control so this wasn't entirely her fault. In fact, Ward would bet May knew the risks before she signed on for this part of their visit.

He doesn't realize he's lifted the lid on his thoughts until Skye rolls her eyes. "It's not her fault."

"It's not yours either," he retorts, helping her to her feet. Ward keeps his arm anchored around her shoulders as they exit, heading back to the kitchen. The sound of their argument can be easily heard as it echoes down the hallway.

Coulson hands May a bottle of water and winces sympathetically. "How's your head?"

"It _hurts_." They get up gingerly and May leans heavily on his arm. "I'm getting too old for this," she grumbles, trying to ignore the throbbing pain.

Coulson laughs quietly but knows better than to touch that statement. He glances at May and smiles crookedly. "Thank god she's on our side."

May rolls her eyes and huffs in concentration. "Next time, we follow my plan."

He stares at her incredulously. "You wanted to shoot Ward on sight and separate them."

"Exactly."

* * *

When they reconvene in the kitchen, Skye is noticeably absent.

"Will she be okay?" Coulson looks as if he has too much energy to safely contain and is pacing the length of the room swiftly.

"She's pretty shaken. The best thing for her right now is just to call it a day. We can discuss it further in the morning." Ward stands with folded arms and a forbidding expression on his face, as if daring them to challenge him.

May closes her eyes and sinks back into the couch. Coulson looks at her with a pinched expression but doesn't push the issue.

"May probably needs to lay flat and rest. You can use the room at the end of the hall. If you'll excuse me, I need to see if Skye needs anything." Ward doesn't bother saying goodnight and the closed door seems to echo through the otherwise empty penthouse.

Coulson turns to May, where she is watching with an unreadable expression. "That probably could have gone better."

She does not wince as he helps her to her feet again and they shuffle down the hall quietly. After a moment, May lets her head fall on his shoulder and allows him to take more of her weight. "We'll figure it out in the morning."

He smiles and helps her into the bed. When he turns to head back for the living room, May says his name quietly.

"You know Ward will take the couch tonight."

Coulson sighs and nods to himself. "I don't know if that upsets me more or less."

She scoots farther back on the mattress to make room for him and closes her eyes. "Stop thinking about it and get some sleep."

* * *

The next morning:

Breakfast is a civilized affair, as Coulson has gone out to get the food this time and Skye has seen to the coffee well before everyone else had woken up. The dishes are cleared easily and Skye has disappeared — citing issues within her network that need attention — leaving the three of them to make small talk.

It is May who breaks the silence. "I didn't know exactly how it worked." She allows a small wince of relief as she slides down on the couch and glances up at Coulson.

He shoots her a brief look of admonition and sighs before refocusing his attention on Ward. "How is Skye handling it?"

"She's dealing. It's been a while since she lost control of her abilities like that. I think May was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

There is a brief silence while everyone processes that statement and then she grudgingly admits: "I might have brought up flowers deliberately."

A strangled noise escapes from Ward as he looks murderously angry and even Coulson is having difficulty keeping the frustration from his expression.

"Don't." Skye is leaning in the doorway. "I'm the one who asked her to help me with my control."

"You don't have to make excuses for her, especially if she was provoking you."

Skye walks over to put a hand on Ward's arm. "It's okay." They lock eyes and seem to communicate silently for a few moments until he clenches his jaw and looks away, huffing in frustration.

"We might as well get this over with now: I'm not coming back." Skye looks at Coulson and May almost serenely, dropping her hand in favor of slipping into Ward's personal space. Ward keeps glaring at something off in the distance but subconsciously allows her closer, automatically drawing her to his side.

"Skye, we can help --"

"No." She stands tall and resolute, with Ward next to her. They look unshakable in their determination, as if he will personally slay all the dragons that would enter her life. "I will not endanger Fitz or Simmons by coming in for tests. I'm not putting Trip on the other side of me in a fight just to see how close to the edge I can get. We all know how this ends."

"There are other ways to do this," May insists, trying to rally by sitting up on the couch.

Skye looks back up at Ward and they have another of their wordless conversations. This time she is the one who nods and seems to huff in frustration but does not move away from him or make any attempt at separating their united front.

"With all due respect, Director," Ward ducks his chin to glance at Coulson, "I think it would be best for you to head back to the States. We'll help when we can, but our focus and priority is Raina."

The room is silent as everyone tries to process what, exactly, Ward is saying. He is not simply asking Coulson to stand down and let them handle this issue. He is saying that the best course of action here is one without any kind of official Shield involvement — and Coulson, as the Director of Shield — is being asked to sit this one out entirely.

It is probably safe to say that no one is more surprised than May when Coulson nods in agreement. "Our flight leaves in a few hours. I'd like to review a few things before we take off, if that's okay."

Skye breathes a barely detectable sigh of relief and all but sags against Ward's side. He looks down to favor her with a private smile before nodding briskly to Coulson. "We can use my office."

* * *

Coulson says goodbye to Skye privately and she does not come out of her bedroom to see them off. It is Ward who walks the other man to the door, as May has gone ahead and is already waiting at the airfield.

There is something in the older man's eyes that makes Ward nervous, and he fumbles to fill the silence. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

"Yes." Coulson smiles in that familiar, crooked way. When he's almost down the hall and out of sight, he calls back, "but just so you know: everyone misses you."

By the time Ward overcomes his shock and disbelief, Coulson is gone.

(Sneaky Directors of SHIELD, always getting the last word in. Must be something in the manual about that.)

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> There a total and utter bit of fluff that just deals with the Skye/Ward portion at the end of the day that I will probably post on my tumblr. otherwise that story will likely never see the light of day. It's b-isforbombshell if you are looking :)


End file.
